hafts in battle. That slayer of foes is
competent to tell me harsh words. The learned say that the strength of
the foremost of Brahmanas lies in speech, and that the Kshatriya's
strength is in his arms. Thou, O Bharata, art strong in words and very
unfeeling. Thou thinkest me to be like thyself. I always strive to do
thee good with my soul, life, sons and wives. Since, not withstanding all
this, thou still piercest me with such wordy darts, it is evident that we
cannot expect any happiness from thee. Lying on Draupadi's bed thou
insultest me, though for thy sake I slay the mightiest of car-warriors.
Thou art without any anxiety, O Bharata, and thou art cruel. I have never
obtained any happiness from thee. It was for thy good, O chief of men,
that Bhishma, firmly devoted to truth, himself told thee the means of his
death in battle, and was slain by the heroic and high-souled Shikhandi,
the son of Drupada, protected by me. I do not derive any pleasure from
the thought of thy restoration to sovereignty, since thou art addicted to
the evil practice of gambling. Having thyself committed a wicked act to
which they only are addicted that are low, thou desirest now to vanquish
thy foes through our aid. Thou hadst heard of the numerous faults and the
great sinfulness of dice that Sahadeva spoke about. Yet dice, which are
worshipped by the wicked, thou couldst not abandon. It was for this that
all of us have fallen into hell. We have never derived any happiness from
thee since thou wert engaged in gambling with dice. Having, O son of
Pandu, thyself caused all this calamity, thou art, again, addressing
these harsh words to me. Slain by us, hostile troops are lying on the
field, with mangled bodies and uttering loud wails. It was thou that
didst that cruel act in consequence of which the Kauravas have become
offenders and are being destroyed. Nations from the North, the West, the
East, and the South, are being struck, wounded and slain, after the
performance of incomparable feats in battle by great warriors of both
sides. It was thou that hadst gambled. It was for thee that we lost our
kingdom. Our calamity arose from thee, O king! Striking us, again, with
the cruel goad of thy speeches, O king, do not provoke our wrath."'"

"Sanjaya said, 'Having addressed these harsh and exceedingly bitter words
unto his eldest brother and thereby committed a venial sin, the
intelligent Savyasaci of calm wisdom, who is ever actuated by the fear of